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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28531182">Malum, Mortem</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Canon, Canon Era, Canon Universe, Character Development, Eventual Comfort, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Naruto searching for Sasuke, Rating will probably change, Sasuke wants Naruto dead, Searching, Slight detail difference, Team Kakashi - Freeform, Violence, Worth It, canon differences, definitely slow burn, fight, loads of Angst actually</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:40:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,493</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28531182</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“To get the Mangekyō Sharingan, you must kill your best friend...“</p><p>Naruto knew this—he did. But hearing the words come out of Sasuke’s mouth when reuniting after 3 years felt all too gut-wrenching.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>136</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Pretium</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This story is set with the aesthetics of episode 47-53 of Naruto, Shippuden and is in the complete Canon Universe BUT there are major plot differences to when Naruto actually reunited with Sasuke around then. </p><p>There’s no Team Kakashi with Yamato, Kakashi has replaced that role etc. </p><p>With that being said, hope you enjoy! </p><p>All rights reserved to Masashi and the Naruto universe, I don’t own anything!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~<br/><br/></p><p>You must have known; from the day we met </p><p>Darkness consumes, vengeance is my rest </p><p>If the deed is done and on my life I’ll bet </p><p>I will give it all I’ve got, my hardest, my best<br/><br/></p><p>~ </p><p> </p><p>Naruto scratched his head, looking back and forth sheepishly between Sakura and Sai. Sai had called her ugly (yet again) with a guiltless grin and she looked 5 seconds away from <em>murder</em>. <br/><br/></p><p>Kakashei sensei was holding her in his grip as she flailed her arms about threatening death and everything malicious on Sai, Naruto would interfere if not for the fact that his mind was polluted with other thoughts...<br/><br/></p><p>He looked up at the baby blue skies of Konoha, little cotton clouds shredded across the landscape and seemed blissfully restful. He thought about their mission, what it would entail. <br/><br/></p><p>Would this really be the mission, the time, the place that he’d finally see Sasuke? <br/><br/></p><p>Could he convince him — bring him back after all these years? <br/><br/></p><p>“Hey!” Sakura’s voice flooded in aggressively, “Why am I ugly, but apparently <em>Ino</em> is beautiful— huh?!” </p><p><br/>Kakashi let go of her when she’d simmered down and scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. Finally sighing; <br/><br/></p><p>“Do we understand the nature of our mission, little nins?” <br/><br/></p><p>Sakura clenched her teeth, “Who are you calling <em>little</em>? Old man.” <br/><br/></p><p>Kakashi ignored her, “Today, we will be setting out on a 5 hour trip to the nearest village residing outside Konoha borders. There we will interact with a member of the Akatsuki.” He glanced at Naruto, a little hesitant, “They claim they have information on Sasuke’s whereabouts and are willing to give it for a price.” <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto nodded, he’d already slyly overheard Tsunade’s conversation with Sakura hours ago, feeling the tiniest bit betrayed that they’d told her and not him about the nature of this mission beforehand. Nevertheless, he made sure to seem a little startled at the task so that he’d seem believable. <br/><br/></p><p>“What type of price is the Akatsuki member requesting?” Sai asked with a monotone smile. <br/><br/></p><p>“Well—“ Kakashi paused, before groaning, “He wants all my physical information, height, ethnicity, chakra type-“ <br/><br/></p><p>“What?!” Naruto snapped, suddenly contributing, “That’s crazy, you can’t give them that! They’ll put it in their bing-“ <br/><br/></p><p>“-Their bingo book, most probably, yes. However I’m already in most bingo books and I can defend myself so it’s a small price to pay.” Kakashi retaliated, throwing a terrifying look at Naruto when he could tell the blonde was about to contest some more.<br/><br/></p><p>Sakura looked just as outraged as Naruto. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m with Naruto on this one, this isn’t wise sensei. Even if you can defend yourself, there might be other motives with this information.” Sakura added, squinting her eyes. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’ve already made up my mind.” Kakashi settled, staring them down and leaving no room for debate, “You two <em>do</em> want to find Sasuke, right?” <br/><br/></p><p>Sakura smiled sadly while humming in agreement and Naruto just gazed down at his own torn shoes, <br/><br/></p><p>he didn’t only want to find Sasuke, he wanted to <em>bring him back</em>.</p><p><br/>But at what cost?<br/><br/></p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>Kakashi stood strong and lonesome at the rendezvous point, it was the tip of a cliff where fine vines and thick moss curled all around. <br/><br/></p><p>Sakura and Naruto peeked, hidden, from behind two enlarged trees that stretched far into the atmosphere and Sai was looking cautiously, not too far off from them, behind a rock. <br/><br/></p><p>Kakashi tapped his wristwatch condescendingly and Naruto briefly wondered if this had all been an annoying set up, it wouldn’t be unexpected of the Akatsuki if it was. <br/><br/></p><p>Suddenly, a figure hopped out of nowhere in the distance, joining Kakashi who now was stiff atop the already narrow cliff. Naruto, Sakura and Sai couldn’t see who it was due to a cloak masking their body type and hood shadowing their face but from Kakashi’s reaction,<em> it wasn’t good news</em>. <br/><br/></p><p>“Should we do something?” Sakura whispered, “This doesn’t look—<em>right</em>.” <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto glanced at her, squeezing on tighter to the tree branch beside him — filled with nerves. <br/><br/></p><p>“I think...maybe we should wait.” Naruto replied. <br/><br/></p><p>A crash sounded instantaneously and they both drew their attention back to the cliff which now sported a halo of thick grey smoke; some sort of explosion. Both their eyes widened in shock and they were about to begin running towards their Sensei when he jumped in front of them, right on their path. <br/><br/></p><p>“It’s a <em>trick</em>—we need to go now-“ Kakashi breathed while Sai joined them, all simultaneously sprinting the opposite direction to the cliff, “It’s Orochimaru.  And he wants Naruto.” </p><p><br/>Naruto sucked in a breath, partly from nervousness, partly from the effort required to run so fast. He briefly recalled the Villain’s Orochimaru’s snake-like, pale face. Enough to make anyone scream in their nightmares.</p><p><br/>“<em>What?!</em>” Sakura gasped, horribly worried, “Why does he want Naruto?” <br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t know.” Kakashi provided, “But I don’t think it’s to play a game of tennis. The mission is cancelled and we are going back to Konoha this instant.” <br/><br/></p><p>“I-I knew it was too good to be true!” Naruto bit between clenched teeth, now that his nerves has subsided he thought about how this was another way in which he couldn’t see his childhood friend. <br/><br/></p><p>The forest transitioned into a motion blur as it moved around the 4 of them, they could hardly register their own breaths. They jumped speedily between trees and branches and it was about 8 minutes in when Kakashi sensed a relentless flow of Chakra behind them, tailing them. <br/><br/></p><p>“He’s behind us.” He informed the group, Sakura and Naruto shared an uneasy glance.<br/><br/></p><p>”Naruto—you should-“ The sensei started, but the words were burgled from his lips as a long, thick yellow snake appeared in mid air and strangled Naruto’s torso, Sakura screamed. </p><p><br/>Orochimaru appeared from behind Naruto, smiled sinisterly and then pierced the caged boy’s arm with a bright green sedative, pumping the sticky anaesthetic into his bloodstream. </p><p><br/>Naruto winced at the sharp pain, then he was angry. He was about to go crazy, attempting to escape the wrapped snake’s hold, feeling his chakra cloak start to leak out but then...<br/><br/></p><p>Fuzzy, static black appeared in his eyesight and his lids drooped close tentatively. The last thing he heard was a helpless screech from his friend. <br/><br/></p><p>Kakashi turned rapidly, about to grab his endangered student but before he could even register the look on Orochimaru’s slender face they were both gone in a puff of crackly smoke, <br/><br/></p><p>the forest quietened save for the crickets, birds and wolves and it was as if they were never there at all.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Obscurum</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Helloooooooo, </p><p>Was just rewatching shippuden and WOW.<br/>It just baffles me that Naruto ended up with Hinata when the entire thing was basically him looking for Sasuke. Could we imagine if Sasuke was a girl...AND THEY KISSED TWICE EVN IN CANON WHAT?!</p><p>Anyways, enjoy this chapter, have a wonderful day/night. :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~ </p><p><br/>
Upon a winter’s night</p><p>I tenderly did see</p><p>your face, forced your sight </p><p>I cannot let you be <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>Naruto blurred in and out a throbbing, aching consciousness. Before he’d even have a minute to note that he was lain on the frigid ground, or utterly weak he’d fall back into a fragile state of rest.</p><p><br/>
When he finally came to, he felt like he’d just been plunged into an ice bath. He was frightfully cold, shivering all around and most of all something was missing. He felt around 50x lighter and <em>empty</em>.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He recalled his last moments of consciousness and jolted up, it caused him to dizzy for a brief second but once his eyes focused back in he took in the room he was splayed on the ground in. It was all black, marble coal floors, black-painted concrete. Everything was dark, he wasn’t sure what the time was but he was sure it would be nightfall by now. Even through the small cracks of this fortress there wasn’t a hint of day. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He began to rise to his feet; <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” A cold voice stated. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto paused, if he wasn’t already shivering from the freezing atmosphere he’d have lost the battle to stand still to his nerves. That voice...it was a little deeper. A little huskier, but...it was...<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>”Sasuke—” Naruto breathed, memories of his childhood friend suddenly flashing swiftly in his brain.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>There was no reply. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto did a once over on the room again, leaning on his palms and scanning the area. <em>There</em>...he thought. There was, in the corner of the room, a shadowed area. And he made out the glowing orbs of 2 aggressive crimson eyes. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Sasuke.” He repeated, now staring at the two eyes that didn’t dare to break their stare off. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto began to get up once again but this time he fell straight back down, right on his backside. There was a short, shiny metal chain attached to his left ankle. His eyes widened. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“W-why is this on me...?” Naruto gasped.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>”Orochimaru suggested it.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Okay—but <em>why</em>?” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“You have a tendency to find a way to escape even the most troubling situations.” Sasuke’s voice echoed, stepping towards the light, “Maybe chaining you will aid in stopping that.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto was so confused—was he really here? In the company of his childhood best friend, when had the roles changed? Last time he recalled, he was the one who was trying to get Sasuke to stay, not vice versa. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Sasuke—do you know I’ve been searching for you?” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sasuke snorted, “Yes, to <em>bring me home</em>-“ he mocked, “Thanks to that, you’ve made this a whole lot easier.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto raised an eyebrow, anger slowly starting to simmer into his anxious bloodstream. He tried to kick the chain bound around his ankle away but to no avail, he began to focus his chakra energy into the limb, maybe that way it would help to remove this thing, but...it didn’t. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>In fact, he couldn’t feel any chakra in his body at all. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“What did you do to me?” He demanded to know through clenched teeth. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sasuke tapped his eyelid once, “I used my sharingan. Your subconscious now thinks you’re barren of chakra, so your body acts accordingly.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto didn’t understand much of the terms used in that sentence, but he understood chakra and barren and his heart lost a beat at that. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Yo-You took my chakra away from me?!” He asked in a panic, fuming. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“No. Your mind just thinks you don’t have it.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>That didn’t make sense to him in the slightest.  He let the situation go, staring back to Sasuke who was now in full view. He wore almost royal looking thin robes, his sword clutched at his side. He’d changed significantly, was older, increasingly deadened, more scarred. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Sasuke, I’ve come to bring you back.” Naruto announced seriously, he didn’t care if Sasuke laughed it off this time, he’d done much worse after all. And Sasuke wasn’t in the right state of mind according to him, his word was drunken by vengeance and grief. </p><p><br/>
That’s what he told himself at least, it still stung when Sasuke scoffed again. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“You’ve come—?” He tutted, “Naruto, I’ve kidnapped you. And I don’t ever intend on letting you run back to Konoha—or anywhere else.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Huh?” Naruto quizzed, none the wiser. What on Earth did Sasuke mean? “What the hell does that mean?” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“I am going to beat Itachi, I’m going to kill him. But I’m too weak.” Sasuke said all this in such a repetitive monotone drawl that Naruto couldn’t help but wonder how he was so disconnected from his emotions, “—I need the mangekyō sharingan to even begin to match him, and to do that I need to—“ </p><p><br/>
“—to kill your closest friend.” Naruto finished for him, horrified and on the brink of numbness.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sasuke nodded, “Yes.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“And—“ Naruto’s breathing became weighted with wrath, “—You’d kill <em>me</em> in cold blood to settle the score with your <em>brother</em>.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p><em>“</em>It<em> must </em>be done.”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto felt on the edge of fainting, the despair, the anger, disappointment and fear was too much to bare. He’d spent years, years looking for this man. A man who’d given the first chance would sever his head—or perhaps pluck out his heart. But—<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Why didn’t you kill me when I was sleeping then?” It came to Naruto’s mind suddenly, and he had to know.</p><p><br/>
“There’s no honour in an easy kill.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“No—“ Naruto seethed, “—there’s just honour in murdering a chained man who has no chakra in his body.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“I already told you the chakra isn’t—“ Sasuke cut himself off, “—I don’t plan on killing you mercilessly, Naruto.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“What...?” He panted. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“I have to earn the mangekyō sharingan—“ He tapped closer to Naruto, ducking down at a good distance so that they were at eye level,  “—and I will when I win a fight against you. But you have to be prepared.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“What?!” Naruto repeated, feeling a little overwhelmed at staring closely into Sasuke’s familiar irises (though not showing it) “That doesn’t make sense.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“You’re only chained for now, don’t get used to it. Once you recover from the anaesthetic I will train you personally and in a months time we will battle to the death.” He voiced as if reading a shopping list, “And there will be no chakra involved.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto gazed holes into Sasuke’s eyes, gobasmacked. He couldn’t—He couldn’t seriously expect them to battle, to the death. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Or at least he couldn’t expect Naruto to indulge in his insane plan. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto would go along with it, do the training, it didn’t matter. In the end, he alone knew that he’d let Sasuke kill him and get this torture over and done with. He’d never, ever kill his friend. Either that or he’d escape. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>But with no chakra, chains on his feet and probable constant monitoring, all his escape ideas seemed fruitless. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Para</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“Just kill me!”</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>I gaze at your figure </p><p>fluidly you do lie </p><p>the picture is much bigger </p><p>than to live or die <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>“Wake up.” A voice shook Naruto out of the depths of his sleep, he looked up and was forced out of his ignorant peace by Sasuke’s menacing glance, “<em>It’s time</em>.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sasuke gently grasped his ankle and Naruto almost squealed, with too tender hands he fit iron keys into the clasps and twisted the lock open. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto stood upwards after scratching at the ruby marks on his ankle, they would bruise. Sasuke led the way to the dimly, candle-lit hallway and Naruto squinted at the sudden introduction of light, trailing after Sasuke’s lead. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Where are we going...?” He asked nosily, coming into step besides his childhood friend.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“There’s a indoor playing field here, we’ll train there.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>On arriving outside two thick oak doors, Sasuke pushed it once and they flung open with a screech. Naruto’s eyes widened, Sasuke had become so—so strong in all those years apart. He felt a little jittery at that.</p><p><br/>
On further analysis of this <em>indoor playing field</em> it seemed that it was a rather clean, odd area. It was completely interior to this fortress but there was freshly mowed grass coating every inch of the floor, and to the corner a wide array of both familiar and unfamiliar glinting weapons. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sasuke pranced in blissfully as if he’d been there a million times before, Naruto supposed he had. Sasuke noticed Naruto eyeing the weapons in the corner evilly, <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“We won’t train with those—for now, we’ll spar.”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto sighed, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably, staying his ground; “Sasuke—I don’t want to fight you...” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Ugh...” Sasuke groaned, rubbing his temple, “...Don’t make me use my sharingan.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto flinched at the sound of that word, <em>sharingan</em>. Such a strong power, such an evil burden. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“I know you wouldn’t,” Naruto tried, “You said we wouldn’t use our chakra to fight—same applies for the spar, right...?” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“If you don’t train then I’ll be force to use it again regardless.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto winced, <em>again</em>. That’s right, Sasuke had already used the sharingan on him, god, this was such a ridiculous mess. He plodded closer to Sasuke, getting right into his personal space and almost touching noses, threatening. Sasuke didn’t even react. </p><p><br/>
“I. Am. Not—“ Naruto spat, “—Fighting. You.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sasuke clenched his teeth, pushing Naruto backwards where he almost stumbled into the grassy ground if not for his instant reflexes. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Then I guess you’ll just have to take a beating.” Sasuke replied violently, stepping towards Naruto suddenly and landing a crunchy punch right on his left cheek. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto fell down this time, brushing off his clothes after his brief moment of shock. He got up.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Fuck you.” He hissed, “—You’re a vengeful, salty bastard.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Have it your way.” Sasuke settled, inching closer suddenly to land another punch but—<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto caught it in his palm, Sasuke grinned. That just made Naruto feel even more hostile, aggressive. He couldn’t believe he was doing this, entertaining this. He despised this so, so, so much. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He squeezed Sasuke’s fist savagely, but the boy didn’t even do as much as raise an eyebrow. <em>That’s right</em>, Naruto supposed, <em>he’s used to worse pain</em>. He let go of Sasuke’s fist as if it burned a mark into his skin. Remembering who it was he was dealing with, the utter gravity of this sick situation. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Why are you doing this?!” Naruto pleaded, his wrath morphing into hopelessness, <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“It’s a necessary evil. You’ll hate me but I will get the Mangekyō sharingan.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“And why are you so certain you’ll win—?!” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sasuke didn’t reply, instead raised a brow, a small upwards tilt on his lips. A face that said <em>come on, we both know I’m the stronger man</em>. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>”Fine.” Naruto finalised, “I’ll sacrifice myself.” </p><p><br/>
“What?” Sasuke breathed, confused. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“I’m telling you now—I don’t want to fight. You don’t want to kill me, but I’ve got no chakra and you won’t let me go. I can’t leave, I can’t stay. Just take me—kill me. I’m offering myself, that way you won’t have to kill a weak man.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sasuke had a momentary look of panic on his usually apathetic features, something that brought warm satisfaction to Naruto’s heart and soul. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“No, there’s no honour—“ <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“—Yeah! There’s no honour in killing a defenceless man, I know! But you’re in denial Sasuke!” Naruto gasped for air, coming closer to Sasuke and pushing him once, “—There’s no honour in killing your best friend, full-stop! So just make everything easier and kill me, just fucking do it!” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sasuke shook his head back and forth viciously, “No.”</p><p> </p><p>“Kill me!” Naruto said again, pushing Sasuke’s shoulders who wasn’t defending himself, <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Kill me! Go on, you fucking coward. Do it.” He repeated, pushing the red-eyed boy again and again and again. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“—stop.” Sasuke said suddenly, grabbing both of Naruto’s hands, twisting him into the ground so that he had his weight all over him and could restrain him properly. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto was crying now, tears that strolled eagerly down his cheeks, “Do you have any idea—??” He gasped, pinned down by a very shocked Sasuke, “—How long I’ve been searching for you? Years! Years and years, I didn’t stop. I almost died so many times, all for you.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto leaned upwards, placing his palm right over Sasuke’s chest, <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“—But your heart—it’s gone cold. Maybe it was always cold, but I still looked. And now—do you know what if feels like?!” His voice cracked, “You—this whole thing. You really want me dead, for revenge. And to think...” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sasuke was lost for words, he could feel Naruto’s warm, shivering breath on his cheek, some on the corner of his lips. This felt intimate and heartbreaking, and it evoked something he hadn’t felt for a long time, feelings. Emotions he’d repressed when embarking on a journey of revenge. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“So just kill me! B-Because I’m done! I’m done with this stupid game, the stupid matches, I’ve had your blood spilt on my hands for too long, any more and I won’t be able to clean it...I can’t even save my best friend, maybe I never could...either way, there’s no point. I can’t be Hokage if I can’t help you, I can’t be Hokage if I kill my best friend—I definitely can’t be Hokage if my chakra just goes because of some stupid sharingan.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He stared right into Sasuke’s eyes, they were both beaming crimson, directly above him, he sobbed when looking at him so closely. He’d forgotten how real he was...how he was right there. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“—Put me into a sleep or something if it’ll make you feel better, I know you can with <em>this</em>...” Naruto whispered, bringing a tan finger up to run across Sasuke’s eyebrow, then following a circle around his entire eye, Sasuke flinched, but didn’t contest, “..So just have it done and over with...” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>His words cut off slowly as he was submerged into unconsciousness, which was happening all too often these days. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He couldn’t tell whether he’d just passed out, or Sasuke’s sharingan had been activated, easing the pain...perhaps before his last moments. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Anguis</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sasuke gets a little rebellious...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~<br/><br/></p><p>Would you like an apology?</p><p>It is too long due</p><p>What if an apology cannot warm </p><p>the coolness between me and you?<br/><br/></p><p>~<br/><br/></p><p>“<em>Sasuke...” Naruto muttered, everything was dark—too dark—unrealistically dark. <br/><br/></em></p><p>
  <em>“Naruto?” A figure replied from an unseeable distance, voice echoing, Naruto knew it to be Sasuke. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>
  <em>Naruto got up on his feet, his dizzying head made him sway viciously but his ambition tore into his health, and like a zombie he plodded and tripped to inch closer to the figure. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>
  <em>Blinding white light suddenly cradled him, he was blanketed with nothing but beaming energy and as he opened his eyes after wincing he saw the figure slowly be dragged backwards by nothing, as if a transparent thread was pulling him away. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>
  <em>“No! S-Sasuke-!” Naruto yelled, trying to run closer to grab him but he was too far and now Naruto’s legs felt firm into the ground like roots beneath a tree, he couldn’t move; he couldn’t do anything. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Don’t fight it Naruto...” the soft voice echoed, shrinking as it vanished further into the distance. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>
  <em>Naruto reached a useless hand out; “Sasuke...! Let me help you...”<br/></em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“It’s too late...” The quietening voice uttered, disappearing almost entirely. The once-beaming white light was beginning to dull along with the figure as it eventually completely burnt out, nothing but wallowing blackness consuming Naruto again.<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>
  <em>Naruto fell to his knees, “No...” he helplessly whispered, palm still out to grab the man who was now gone. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>
  <em>~<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>Naruto jerked upwards violently, sweat beading down his forehead, he wiped the drops off with his sleeve.</p><p><br/>“It was a dream...?” He asked himself quietly. He reflected on what happened in that nightma—dream; the horrid remembrance of Sasuke’s weak voice and faceless figure made him shiver. <br/><br/></p><p>Speaking of Sasuke...he gave the room a once over, the man was nowhere to be seen. Naruto was in the unilluminated, marble-floored room that he’d first awoken in on being kidnapped, but there was some sort of—some difference.</p><p><br/>He scratched his ankle absentmindedly and then gasped, looking down at his free limb. There was no shackle tying him down, no heavy iron promising bruises for the future.</p><p><br/>That did surprise him, why hadn’t...why hadn’t Sasuke just gone ahead and chained him again? He’d done it once, he’d—<br/><br/></p><p>Naruto covered his mouth as he remembered what happened before he’d slipped into unconsciousness, he was begging Sasuke to <em>kill him</em>. He cringed slightly at the thought, he didn’t want to die at all, but he got carried away and some part of him, the deep, hidden crevices knew that Sasuke <em>wouldn’t</em>. <br/><br/></p><p>It didn’t stop him from grinning when it had been confirmed though. He’d assured himself with this information that Sasuke had some humanity left, he’d just hoped that Sasuke had dropped this whole <em>let’s murder each other</em> thing the next time they’d see each other. <br/><br/></p><p>~</p><p><br/>“So...how is it going with the little boy...?”<br/><br/></p><p>Orochimaru had a sinister smile on throughout the entire dinner, Sasuke usually couldn’t bare to look at him, but he’d forced himself to now because it was impolite to not maintain eye contact when someone spoke—he knew that much about table manners.<br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke didn’t reply, only shot him a look which told him to mind his own business.<br/><br/></p><p>”So?” Orochimaru pushed on, his slithering tongue slipping between his lips like a ravenous serpent. <br/><br/></p><p>“I prefer not to speak at the table.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Ah—so it’s going badly.” He chuckled, “I guess I can’t blame you, he’s an annoying little one—“<br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke got up to his feet suddenly, a knife clattering on the table and then firm in his grasp, his face wasn’t that clear due to the dark shadows that poured over his features, but Orochimaru knew he’d hit some sort of nerve. He smirked.<br/><br/></p><p>“—As I was saying, if you’re too incompetent to—or unable to murder him for whatever, <em>sentimental</em> reasons—“ he spat out the word sentimental as if it were poison, “—Then I could just have a bit of him, I’ll kill him quick I promise.” His eyes glinted delightfully, “As you know, to get Mangekyō Sharingan you only have to lose the person you love, you don’t actually have to kill them—“ <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke was all of a sudden right next to Orochimaru’s seated figure—and in a flash he sunk the knife into the older’s boney hand; deep in the resting limb, between the hard bones of the knuckle. Orochimaru didn’t even wince at the pain, just suppressed the urge to laugh at hitting so close to home. <br/><br/></p><p>“You’re not touching him—I’m going to deliver the final blow.” Sasuke’s firm voice commanded. <br/><br/></p><p>“Ah...” Orochimaru breathed, clasping his undamaged palm around the knife and pulling it out with a gory squelch, “...So it is for sentimental reasons—huh?” <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke once again didn’t reply. <br/><br/></p><p>Orochimaru held Sasuke’s shirt collar in a swift movement and pulled his face towards his own malicious one, “—I told you—feelings have no place here, Sasuke. Your brother killed everyone, your entire famil—scrap that, your entire clan. And you don’t even have the balls to get revenge all because of a blonde idiot.” <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke pulled away from Orochimaru’s hold as if it was grimy and stung, he couldn’t help the condescended look that splashed across his face. <br/><br/></p><p>“Think what you want about me, serpent—I will kill Naruto. But do as much as lay a finger on him and I swear—“ Sasuke breathed through his nose, closing his eyes, “—I will make sure you’re stuck in a burning hell of an illusion for the rest of your disgusting days.” <br/><br/></p><p>Orochimaru’s smirk turned upside down at that, a lopsided tilt to his lips. <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke began to walk away tentatively into the silent corridor, <br/><br/></p><p>“You’re an idiotic coward Sasuke—!” Orochimaru screamed from his frozen position on the long dinner table. <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke couldn’t find it within himself to care.<br/><br/></p><p>~<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em>”You’re an idiotic coward Sasuke!” </em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The sound was so loud, boomed through the building so far that Naruto actually flinched when he heard it, that was definitely Orochimaru—that little kidnapper’s voice. <br/><br/></p><p>He wondered who it was he was calling a coward, was it Sasuke? He couldn’t think of anyone else who was in the building with them. <br/><br/></p><p>Without warning he heard light steps outside the room he was in and he paused in both his nervous movements and thoughts, who—who on Earth...? Was it Sasuke again? Back so soon? <br/><br/></p><p>Had it been so soon though...? Naruto pondered—his recollection of time here was awful. If looking outside of nooks of the concrete walls was any indication, it seemed like day, but he couldn’t tell if he’d been here for a full 24hrs or a few weeks, and him stumbling in and out of sleep was no help either. <br/><br/></p><p>He heard keys jangle in the lock and he sat up straight, when the door creaked open he couldn’t really identify who the silhouette in the doorway was. It seemed like Sasuke...the shape of the spiky hair at least. <br/><br/></p><p>But Naruto’s eyesight was blurring in and out of focus, the person at the door sighed and rubbed their temples, if Naruto had the energy he would have smiled to himself, all his doubts went away—that was a hundred percent Sasuke. <br/><br/></p><p>“You’re still not eating?” Sasuke asked tenderly, gesturing to the full bowls of meat and rice at Naruto’s side. He’d not even done as much as touched it. <br/><br/></p><p>“Nope.” Naruto answered, popping the ‘P’, “—Not gonna eat until you let me out.“ <br/><br/></p><p>As if right on cue, Naruto’s stomach made a noisy rumbling sound and Sasuke hid his grin behind his hand, Naruto’s cheeks flushed red, <br/><br/></p><p>“It sounds like you are hungry...” Sasuke informed, and Naruto turned his head to the side, sticking his tongue out like a child unconsciously. <br/><br/></p><p>“Fine—get up.” Sasuke finalised, getting in Naruto’s personal space and wrapping his hand around his bicep to aid in standing up, </p><p><br/>“Huh—no! I’m not gonna fight yo—“<br/><br/></p><p>”—Calm down Naruto, we’re not going to fight, we’re going to go somewhere else.” Sasuke soothed, and Naruto stopped resisting his touch, <br/><br/></p><p>“Huh, where are we going?” Naruto asked, now very curious as Sasuke led the way through the endless corridors, soft touch still on his arm. <br/><br/></p><p>“You said you wanted to leave<em> that room</em>—right—?”<br/><br/></p><p>Naruto actually meant <em>leave this place</em> but he still nodded regardless, getting out of that lightless hell-hole was just as nice. <br/><br/></p><p>“—There’s a kitchen around here, I’m sure we can find some packets of ramen.” <br/><br/></p><p>If Naruto’s heart did a kick, flip and jump-start at that, needn’t no one know. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Requiem</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A little domestic...or is it?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A bit of a bipolar chapter, this is, </p><p>Buckle up :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~<br/><br/></p><p>To be or not to be </p><p>That is what they say </p><p>To see or not to see </p><p>Is the truth of today </p><p><br/>~</p><p> </p><p>Naruto was relieved to see some windows, albeit covered in watery fog, in the sunlit kitchen. <br/><br/></p><p>The kitchen resembled the architecture of everything else in this anonymous building, dark and simple. But the orange sun that swept through the glass was more than enough to make the large room feel like a whole different world. <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke washed his hands thoroughly at the sink, before turning to Naruto’s position and instructing him with a little expression to do the same—Naruto instantly complied. He was filthy with all the dirt that his clothes had collected in that cellar or whatever the hell it was. <br/><br/></p><p>“Okay so—“ Sasuke turned away, rummaging through a few cabinets which looked entirely empty, “—I’m sure there’s food somewhere...” <br/><br/></p><p>“What the hell...?” Naruto shivered, turning off the tap after a rigorous hand wash, “There’s practically no food here, what do you even eat?” <br/><br/></p><p>“Um...” Sasuke looked up while contemplating, “—I just rely on my chakra for nutritional value if I’m starving.” <br/><br/></p><p>‘<em>Starving</em>’ Naruto gaped at him, leaning back against the sink’s counter, wondering if it was even possible to do that. <br/><br/></p><p>“But...what if you’re craving ramen—!” <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke sported a poorly concealed smile, “There is only one thing I crave; and it’s far from food.” His smile transitioned into something psychotically sad. </p><p><br/>Ah, his <em>revenge</em>. He was still after that. The room was eerily silent after that, Sasuke staring concentratedly at a speck of dirt in the tiled floors and Naruto feeling a mix of pity and confusion and upset; nonetheless, he pushed all of it aside. <br/><br/></p><p>”Well—you haven’t eaten in a long time then; we can’t have that!” Naruto broke the silence and searched ambitiously through the rest of the cupboards, “—Ah! Here—I see something!” <br/><br/></p><p>He pulled out, rather swiftly, a box of dried, frozen pizza that hid in the back of a fungi-covered cabinet. <br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t think we can eat that—it looks a little out of date wouldn’t you say?” Sasuke logically stated, pointing at the wear and tear done to the obviously old box. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hey! Fine—but speak for yourself skinny boy—I’m going to cook myself a beautiful meal.” <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke chortled, “We’ll see if it’s beautiful after you’ve consumed it...” he whispered under his breath. <br/><br/></p><p>~ </p><p> </p><p>Naruto clutched his stomach after one warm slice, he looked worryingly green but once glancing up at Sasuke and seeing his<em> I told you so</em> look he just had to take a bite out of another one. <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke was seated opposite him on a small, round, maple table. He tapped his fingers on the wood as if he was bored—Naruto knew it was just an unconscious habit. <br/><br/></p><p>Eventually, Sasuke clasped the pizza that sat soggily on the porcelain plate and chucked it all in one piece perfectly into the iron bin without even looking in its direction.<br/><br/></p><p>”I-If I d-d-“ Naruto coughed over the disgusting out of date dough in his mouth, “—If I didn’t know better I’d say you care about me.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Good thing you know better, then.” <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto winced at that, <em>ouch</em>. Although he couldn’t say it wasn’t expected. </p><p> </p><p>“Then why throw the pizza away then, huh—huh?” He cheekily asked, smiling like a Baboon. <br/><br/></p><p>“—Because it won’t be in anyone’s best interest if we fight while you’re sick.” <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto’s face dropped into one of indifference, brow twitching. <br/><br/></p><p>There was a beat of silence. <br/><br/></p><p>“You’re still hung up on this kill thing?” He asked lowly, monotone.<br/><br/></p><p>“That’s the whole reason you’re here—“ <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto arose angrily, twisting the entire maple table around with a hand and it splintered as it cracked on the floor. His display of strength, even with no useable chakra, was formidable. <br/><br/></p><p>“How many times do I have to make myself clear—?” Naruto’s eyes decreased to furious little slits, “—You’re not going to die, because I’m not going to kill you.” <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke breathed once, his temper being tested; “Well you’ll die, because I <em>will</em> kill you.” <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto growled, sauntering closer to the calm, seated man. He grabbed the rim of Sasuke’s shirt with both hands, pulling him up to eye level. Sasuke didn’t resist but seemed irritated. <br/><br/></p><p>“No, you’re not. You had the chance, once, twice, even now. And you haven’t, are you still—“ <br/><br/></p><p>A piercing smash of glass sounded and it felt as if the whole room vibrated, Naruto and Sasuke both fell to the ground in a clutter. Everything was so confusing, did a bomb just go off? Was Orochimaru plotting something? How—</p><p> </p><p>“Naruto! Thank god!” Sakura’s voice screamed, hopping through the hole that surely one of the few chinobi trailing after her had made in the kitchen window. <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto looked up, his vocabulary abandoning him.<br/><br/></p><p>Kakashi and Sai followed closely behind, and as Naruto looked beside him he could see an unconscious Sasuke splayed out on the tiled ground. A piece of thin glass was lodged into his skull, Naruto’s heart halted in that moment. <br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t worry.” Sai spoke, “He’s not dead, it’s an illusionary chakra spell. He’ll be out for a few hours.” </p><p><br/>Naruto breathed, <em>thank goodness.</em> </p><p> </p><p>Kakashi brushed off the tiny fragments of blunt glass on his uniform—so he’d been the one to crack it. <br/><br/></p><p>”You okay, Naruto?” The sensei asked.<br/><br/></p><p>Naruto didn’t know how to reply, so he just settled with a nod. <br/><br/></p><p>“How did you find me...?” He asked, endeared but—feeling—what was that feeling—he couldn’t pinpoint it. <br/><br/></p><p>Kakashi pointed at his ninken, specifically one very talented sniffer dog, so they’d found the fortress through Naruto’s scent, huh. </p><p> </p><p>Naruto tensed once again; “But Orochimaru—“<br/><br/></p><p>“Ah, he left the place moments ago, we hid behind some trees and saw him depart.” Sai smiled, “I don’t think he’ll be back anytime soon.” <br/><br/></p><p>What was it—? Naruto felt something, he couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Something was wrong about how he felt. <br/><br/></p><p>“What should we do about—“ Sakura sighed, pointing at Sasuke’s limp, peaceful and oh-so-bloody form, “—this one...” <br/><br/></p><p>She seemed as if she was lost in a flashback at taking in her former childhood friend, tears gathered in her sockets, not daring to spill. <br/><br/></p><p>“W-We have to take him with us.“ Naruto stuttered, everything—every little feeling and emotion suddenly gushing to enter his body. The sadness, the fear, exhilaration, the—<br/><br/></p><p>Ah—bingo—that was it. That was the emotion.  </p><p> </p><p>“Okay—“ Kakashi supported Sasuke’s defenceless body on his back, “—Let’s go.” <br/><br/></p><p>Thats why Naruto couldn’t identify the feeling, it wasn’t what he felt, but it was what he didn’t feel. <br/><br/></p><p>“Okay!” Sai and Sakura replied in unision. <br/><br/></p><p>Even though Naruto was saved—even though he’d go back to Konoha—even though Sasuke was captured,<br/><br/></p><p>He didn’t feel relief. <br/><br/></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Fraus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Inexplicable.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I know this fic is being a bit of a slow burn, but from here on out things will be faster paced, I promiseeee. Also a little less angsty!</p><p>Love you all!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>If the price to your hurt </p><p>is found through your heart </p><p>does that mean the cost of my pain </p><p>really has no start? <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>“He’s gone.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto whipped his head around, Kakashi was stood disappointedly on a fat, sturdy piece of bark that poked boldly out of a thick tree in the woods; his back, bare. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto refrained from gulping, his stomach dropping all the way down. A glance in Sakura’s direction revealed a similar reaction from the pink-haired girl.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“What do you mean—he’s gone?”  <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Kakashi sighed, closing his eyes in a second of what resembled hurt and tiredness, “I should have known, it was a shadow clone. It just puffed off of my back.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>No—no <em>not possible</em>, is what Naruto wanted to counter with, but his voice was lost as a croak due to his dry throat. When had Sasuke—when had he even transformed into a clone during the whole rescue, when had he even disappeared? <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He’d lost him, lost him again. Naruto made a very swift movement to return to the opposite direction, attempting to retrace his steps and get back to that daunting fortress. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He didn’t want to—but he would. He would for Sasuke, he couldn’t, he wouldn’t ever lose him again. He swore to himself.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>And just as things were starting to lighten, just when the grass was looking greener, goodness! Why was this his luck?<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>His eyes felt teary, and as he ran and jumped sluggishly albeit desperately in the forest and over lumps of trees he felt his stomach knot and his brain fuzz. The hunger, the disgusting remnants of out-of-date food lodged in his belly was really started to kick in. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Just as he started to tilt to the side; a hairs width from fainting, Sakura appeared from behind him and grabbed his torso, supporting his unstable figure.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He groaned, mumbling; “Sasuke...” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Kakashi exhaled, “We’ve been travelling for almost a good 4 hours now, we should set up camp here.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sai nodded and shifted his attention to a very worried Sakura with a very ill-looking, pale Naruto in her hold, “I agree with Sensei—it’s getting dark too.” He added, pointing at the purple skies that were shifting to inky blue.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sakura nodded hurriedly, jumping to the leafy ground and setting the dizzied Naruto gently on the crunching floor below, not too far in the distance Kakashi was collecting twigs for a small campfire. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Oh...Naruto...” Sakura sighed, brushing his blonde locks away from his currently unconscious face, “...you really do love him...”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>Naruto awoke from a horrid nightmare with a jolt, remnants of drool running down his chin. What was the nightmare...? He couldn’t recall.</p><p><br/>
As he searched around him, he was both relieved and terrified to see that he was no longer in Sasuke’s fortress but in the open space of the forest. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He spotted Sakura’s resting figure, then Kakashi who was sleeping very tranquilly not too far off, and then Sai who looked the most peaceful of them all. They were all huddled around a fire which embers were slowly burning out, unconscious. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto looked up at the starry night, the white and yellow glistening like small gems in the sky. It was nearing dawn, he could tell from the small chirps of birds all around but light wouldn’t come for around an hour or two. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He tasted something a little bitter in his mouth and cursed Sakura, she definitely fed him some disgusting medicine in his sleep to regain his health. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Yawning and looking around again—Naruto froze. His eyes not moving from a certain tree, there it was. Seeing something that made him both want to recoil in fear and run directly to it.<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>It was a small pair of red eyes in the distance, leaning quite observantly on a thick oak tree. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <em>Sasuke...</em><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto didn’t know what action to take, didn’t know how to feel. Sasuke—Sasuke had come back? And was...what? Sightseeing Naruto? <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>But while all his friends were sleeping? And during the night? And looking at him—looking at him like <em>that</em>. He didn’t know if this was a good thing after all. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He got up slowly; quietly. Careful to not wake up his colleagues who he had to remind himself had ninja senses and weren’t as much of a heavy sleeper as he. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sasuke remained gazing at Naruto, eyes trailing his every move. They didn’t leave him, even when Naruto stepped not 1 metre away from him, further away from his group than the raven-haired boy. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“You’re back?” He whispered with hope, very quietly as to not awaken the rest. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sasuke didn’t reply for a moment, then nodded. Leaning in closer to Naruto, closer and closer and closer. Naruto didn’t breath, couldn’t, and Sasuke settled in leaning in to his ear, “I want to show you something...” he breathed. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sasuke pulled away and Naruto let out a much needed gulp of air otherwise he would’ve suffocated, just when he smiled, regaining his composure, Sasuke had to grab his wrist softly and drag him to his desired location. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>It was when they were walking for a firm 3 minutes that it dawned upon Naruto that this could be a bad idea. This man wanted him <em>dead </em>after all, or he did last time they spoke at least. He halted in his position and Sasuke paused, turning around and sending him a quizzical look. </p><p><br/>
“You’re not gonna pull that murder stuff again?” He queried, more anxiously than he liked. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He thought Sasuke might get angry at that but was surprised to see a smirk pull at his lips, his heart jumped. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“No—but yes.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto sent him a dissatisfied look, <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“-Just trust me.” Sasuke added genuinely, and Naruto resisted the urge to laugh. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“You—“ he chuckled, “—want me to trust you right now? Sasuke I miss you and every-“ he cut himself off for a second, shaking his head, not meaning to sound so sentimental, “You’ve been wanting to kill me for the last few days. Excuse me for being a little sceptical.” He resigned. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“I know...but...I realised something. Just come?” He asked in a pleading tone, Naruto had never heard his tone like that, ever. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He bit his lip, stuck between running back to Kakashi—to safety and following his childhood friend...who...who he loved dearly. This Sasuke was acting so different though, so...strange...<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He nodded after a beat, reluctant. The smile that crossed Sasuke’s lips along with a happy crinkle of his eyes was enough to make Naruto glad with his response and forget any worries. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sasuke tightened his grip around Naruto’s wrist, and dragged him on their little escapade once again. They fast-walked for some 10 minutes, and Sasuke finally let go of Naruto’s wrist. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“We’re here...” He announced in a quiet breath. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto looked around, endeared by what he regarded, it was a gorgeous stream, glistening with diamanté drops that flickered among the steady water. The blue light of the dark night only made it more beautiful, ethereal, in fact. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sasuke came into step next to Naruto who was entranced by the sight, his shoulder slowly brushing the blonde. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“What do you think this is?” Sasuke quizzed. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Um—a river?” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sasuke breathed a laugh, “—Duh, you dork. No—why am I showing you this?” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto gulped, trying to use his brain. Nothing came to mind, he turned to Sasuke and found that his eyes were already trained on him the whole time. He didn’t know what to do with that information. He shrugged, showing his cluelessness. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“See how the current flows...” Sasuke told Naruto, he broke their gaze on each other and leaned down to dangle his ringed fingers a little in the water, “Now make it stop.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Huh?” Naruto replied, baffled, “How on Earth can anyone make a current stop?” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sasuke smiled to himself, “Exactly Naruto. The current can’t stop flowing in a direction, you can scream at it. You can hit it—“ He emphasised his point by flicking his hand into the river harshly, “—But the only thing that you are able to alter are the few seconds worth of ripples that appear.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>The point of this was still lost on Naruto, “—And?” He questioned, growing a little impatient. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sasuke got up, and faced Naruto again, suddenly gravely serious. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“And this is me, the river is me, the current is my vengeance. It will never stop flowing, you can scream, chase, shout whatever. You will only ever cause a ripple.” He sighed, facing away from the suddenly saddened boy,  “—I have tried too Naruto, I’ve tried to ease the current—stop it even. But it won’t stop, it never will. I’m sorry but this is how it is.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He faced Naruto again and didn’t know how to feel when he saw how affected, how crestfallen Naruto looked at his little metaphor. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“—But. There is a way.” Sasuke finally added, “There is a way to stop the current. Do you know how?” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto suddenly looked up, hope gleaming in his eyes. He shook his head in response to Sasuke’s question,  <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“—The way to stop the current, is to drain the river.” Sasuke finalised, groaning when Naruto shot him a bewildered look, “—That means...if I am the river...”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sasuke pulled out a pocket knife from his pocket, for a brief moment Naruto thought he’d actually stab him, but then he did something unpredicted and turned the leather handle towards Naruto, expecting him to hold it. </p><p><br/>
Naruto’s eyes suddenly widened, disgusted by what could come next. He shook his head, back and forth. Back and forth, back and forth. His eyes clenched shut, denial on his face and refusing to meet the dark haired boys gaze. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Sasuke inched closer and held him by the shoulders, warm hands, the blonde felt them, felt them grasp him, “—Naruto look at me. Please” </p><p><br/>
“No. No, No.” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Naruto’s eyes were swelling with burning tears under his eyelids which didn’t dare to open. He tried shaking this away, shaking everything away. It was getting to him. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Naruto...if I am the river...” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“No, no, no, no, no,” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“And the only way for the current to stop is to drain the river...” <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“No, no, no, no, no,” Naruto wanted it to stop, please, God, make it stop, make this idiot stop talking. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“Then you need to kill me.” </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Veritas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A realisation...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>It’s about damn time.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~<br/><br/></p><p>You may tear my flesh </p><p>rip out my front tooth</p><p>it’ll hurt much less</p><p>than knowing; this truth <br/><br/></p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>Naruto wondered if he was still even there, hoping he was still dreaming. A pathetic part of him even hoping he was stuck in some salmonella-driven fever and on the ground in Orochimaru’s fortress. <br/><br/></p><p>But the vibrations on his shoulders only shook harder, Sasuke’s grip on him only tighter as the knife was held carelessly but so prominently there in his grasp. <br/><br/></p><p>The anxiety, the sadness, the rush of fearful adrenaline he felt morphed into something much more savage, much more violent. Anger. <br/><br/></p><p>“Fuck you.” Naruto spat, tuning out Sasuke’s ridiculous requests. “This is what you pulled me here for—? Really—?” The tears felt so hot suddenly, roasting his face. <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke just stared, desperation in his drawn-in eyebrows and crinkled forehead, he looked either disgusted or lost. <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto took that as his cue to continue, shoving Sasuke’s palms off his own stiff shoulders.<br/><br/></p><p>“You’re sick—sick.” Naruto repeated as if it would snap Sasuke out of—whatever the hell <em>this</em> was. <br/><br/></p><p>”Just—“ Sasuke started, trying to shove the knife into Naruto’s grasp, “—just do—“ <br/><br/></p><p>“No! Fuck you, no!—“ Naruto grabbed the knife out of Sasuke’s palm in a too-quick moment as if it were vermin and threw it with such passion into the river, “—What part of fucking ‘no’ do you not understand?!” <br/><br/></p><p>When Naruto turned away from where the weapon sank into the river with a plop, he breathed a nervous breath in looking at the raven haired boys features. <br/><br/></p><p>He was...not angry? <br/><br/></p><p>He had this horrible, pained look on. As if reluctant tears were about to squeeze out of his eyes like scolding water, suddenly the wrath consuming Naruto faded and he’d do near anything to make that look go. <br/><br/></p><p>“I...give you the opportunity to be rid of me...once and for all...without a fight...and you...you—“ Sasuke looked down, expression unreadable, unseeable, “—and you don’t even consider it?” <br/><br/></p><p>“What?” Naruto breathed, pounding heart, confusion seeping into his bloodstream, “Of course I wouldn’t.” He let out in a hardly comprehendible whisper. <br/><br/></p><p>Crickets and birds sang, their voices seeming painfully loud and echoing the booming silence that grew in the few moments. The distance between the two felt so wrong, Naruto would do anything to hold the man in his arms...but...he didn’t feel like revisiting yet another bruise on his healing face. <br/><br/></p><p>“—So...what you said about not wanting to kill me, you really meant it?” The coolness in Sasuke’s characteristically unemotional tone began to reveal. <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto gulped discreetly, “Yes—“ <br/><br/></p><p>He was hardly able to finish the last letter before the world came tumbling and crashing down around him, there was no earthquake or tree falling but more like a morphing circle wrapping around him and pulling him out of a warped reality. <br/><br/></p><p>“Agh—“ Naruto gasped, jerking upwards in a laboured breath. <br/><br/></p><p>He searched the room, clutching at his shirt to steady his pounding heart. <br/><br/></p><p>He was...in Sasuke’s kitchen—in the fortress, on the floor, Sasuke was opposite him, in a similar baffled state, leaning rigidly on his palms. <br/><br/></p><p>He looked absolutely horrified, staring right into Naruto’s eyes with eyeballs as big as saucers, the surprise not lost on the crinkle on his nose, the downward tilt of his mouth, the lines in his forehead, the vulnerable raised brows.<br/><br/></p><p>What was going on...?</p><p><br/>“Sasuke—?” He asked, it came out as a croak, “W-What—?” <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke pointed at his left eye mutely as if unable to form a sentence, the neon dark redness still dancing around his pupil, the sharingan...it—this.<br/><br/></p><p>Naruto refrained from gasping, looking up hurriedly at the window that Sakura and Kakashi had obliterated to save him...it was in tact and perfectly ordinary. <br/><br/></p><p>The whole rescue mission—it was a genjutsu, he’d imagined—Sasuke had made him imagine the whole thing. <br/><br/></p><p>But—but why? <br/><br/></p><p>The thought was scattered away in his head as he began to tilt to the side and pass out, the remnants of the disgusting food settling in his stomach and Sasuke’s disheartening, bewildered face graining out. <br/><br/></p><p>~<br/><br/></p><p>“—You need—“ </p><p> </p><p>Naruto groaned, croaking a <em>leave me alone, </em>that probably didn’t even leave his lips past a weak whine.</p><p> </p><p>“—Eat—“ </p><p> <br/>He groaned again, harsh metal of a spoon being forced into his mouth with something mushy on it.<br/><br/></p><p>”—That’s it, you’re so—“ <br/><br/></p><p>His eyes were so damn heavy, he couldn’t open it no matter how heard he tried. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m sorr—“ </p><p> </p><p>His bad health slammed back into a fainting state of unconsciousness. <br/><br/></p><p>~<br/><br/></p><p>When Naruto finally awoke—and the genuine consciousness, not the I have at least one working sense consciousness—it felt like someone had stuck an iron pole through one ear and was teasing it out the other. <br/><br/></p><p>He winced at the disgraceful pain, but all of it was almost disregarded at what he viewed above him. <br/><br/></p><p>His head was laid heavily within Sasuke’s lap, Sasuke’s head leaned against one of the common long oak trees within a forest and he was sitting cross legged on the leafy ground. His instincts told him this was probably a danger but he couldn’t help but feel so at ease. <br/><br/></p><p>The memories—the events that recently occurred came crawling back to him. <br/><br/></p><p>His eyes widened, he would have jolted upwards if not for his blatantly unable physical state. <br/><br/></p><p>“I-Is this another <em>stupid</em> genjutsu...” He whispered, cringing at his own worn-out, croaky tone. The dry burn sticking to his throat walls. <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke looked down suddenly, clearly momentarily surprised at Naruto’s sudden state of consciousness. Pink tinged his cheeks atypically when he realised Naruto was aware of being in his lap and he tried playing it off by softly moving Naruto’s head to a bundle of orange leaves by his side and getting up—pacing off. Back facing Naruto. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m not using my sharingan, no.” Sasuke reaffirmed, voice a bit muffled by the fact he was not even facing Naruto. <br/><br/></p><p>“Then wh-what are we doing here?” Naruto quizzed, brows furrowing. <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke turned around to look in Naruto’s tired eyes, his composure regained. Hands linked behind his straight back. <br/><br/></p><p>“As expected, Orochimaru isn’t too happy and dandy right now, so we are avoiding him.” <br/><br/></p><p>“You?” Naruto scoffed in an unbelieved breath, “-Avoiding a fight—challenge? Are you sure this isn’t a genjutsu?” <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke rolled his eyes, somewhat displeased, “You’re sick, I can’t risk your health.” <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto didn’t know how his body had energy for it, but his belly swam with all kinds of winged creatures and his heart leaped. He steadied his breathing; “You—my health—“ <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke sported an expression akin to a smile, “—Don’t get too happy.” </p><p><br/>Naruto really didn’t want to cry—and he didn’t, thank goodness. But he had to stay quiet for a good minute otherwise he would have balled out every liquid under his sockets. <br/><br/></p><p>“Wh-“ Naruto stopped, considering his next words, then meeting Sasuke’s observant brown gaze, “—What changed?” <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke spun around once more, his robes glinting in the now sunlight, they flowed in the sudden gush of cold wind that attacked, Naruto held the blankets (Had Sasuke also done this for him in his sleep?) tighter. <br/><br/></p><p>“The genjutsu...Orochimaru once told me that most men, given the opportunity, would kill the fire that both warmed and burned them—something—somehow—I just thought maybe you were waiting for that opportunity, so I—“ Sasuke cut himself off, shaking his head and Naruto saw his shiny long locks of the back of his head bop with the movement. “—I should go get some twigs, it’s nearing nightfall and we need a fire.” He concluded, completely switching the subject. </p><p><br/>Sasuke stalked off, eventually disappearing from Naruto’s view. Naruto smiled to himself, holding the blankets up to his nose and taking in the scent. It smelled like Sasuke, masculine and sweet and bitter. Like leather and coal and sugar. His cheeks went red.</p><p><br/>He waited there, lying down with the blankets clutched to his body, a few moments passed. <br/><br/></p><p>He reflected on everything, every single moment. <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke, was he finally coming around? Was he—was he going to come back to Konoha? Had Naruto finally done it? <br/><br/></p><p>He recalled Sasuke’s face, the positive, revealing emotions he’d seen. <br/><br/></p><p>He remembered Sasuke’s handsome face, locks draped downwards by gravity as he’d awoken—in his lap no less—from everything. The two seconds in which Sasuke hadn’t noticed Naruto’s awakening was something Naruto would remember forever. <br/><br/></p><p>He looked so at peace, so sweet, so...so calm. Was he always like that when Naruto wasn’t looking? Or—Or was Naruto the one to put that tranquility there? <br/><br/></p><p>He cuddled around himself some more, slightly embarrassed when he had a flash—an imagination of his own arms around his body being Sasuke’s arms. Wondered how Sasuke would look if he was to hug him—encasing him with soft but strong hands—<br/><br/></p><p>He went a little red, shaking his head to ditch the fantasy. <br/><br/></p><p>“Sasuke...” he whispered to himself, so, so happy but so so sad, he loved Sasuke very much, not like a friend just as everyone though, but like—like <em>that, </em></p><p><em><br/></em>but..he wasn’t selfish enough to actually tell him, <em>or brave enough</em>, a rude voice in his head chirped in. <br/><br/></p><p>“Sasuke—I love you so fucking much...” he said quietly to himself, but flinched slightly when hearing the sounds of loud and small logs and twigs alike cluttering loudly to the ground nearby.<br/><br/></p><p>He glanced to the source of sound, his heart stopping—halting in all the movements and he saw a frozen, confused, disbelieving Sasuke—clearly having abandoned whatever contents were in his arms. <br/><br/><br/>Naruto went pale. <br/><br/></p><p>Shit...shit—shit! <br/><br/></p><p>Had he heard?!<br/><br/></p><p>”What did you just say...??” </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I think Naruto should’ve thought twice before speaking to himself 😶</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Aestas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“We will all be memories some day, make sure you’re a good one.” -Kakashi</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>https://youtu.be/boY6FvdnrBQ - This chapter was motivated by the kind of aesthetic this Naruto remix has.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~ <br/><br/></p><p>If this is what you’ve been craving </p><p>and from what I see; it is </p><p>then on my life you’ll be saving </p><p>my heart, my soul, my bliss </p><p><br/>~</p><p><br/>Naruto found some sort of resemblance to energy within him and forced himself to sit up on the heels of his palms, opening and closing his mouth, gobsmacked like a goldfish. <br/><br/></p><p>He stared up at Sasuke and then decided he’d just try to play it off, how he usually did. <br/><br/></p><p>He discarded the blanket to his side, feeling like embracing it again would be too exposing, too transparent to Sasuke. <br/><br/></p><p>“Naruto—what did you just say?” Sasuke repeated when Naruto had forgotten (or rather was unable) to reply to the first query. <br/><br/></p><p>The raven-haired seemed a little less shocked now, his initially bewildered features easing into some sort of calm but curious look. Naruto realised he was staring and not speaking which served to flush him a dangerous red once more. He broke Sasuke’s burning gaze. <br/><br/></p><p>“Um—“ Naruto stumbled over each word, wondering what to do, where to start, “—said what?” He winced at the blatant lie; whatever. <em>Deny deny deny</em> was the only thing pacing through his head. <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke tsked and Naruto glanced back up, Sasuke was stalking over to him like he was prey and if Naruto was red before, he was a beet now. <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto looked back down at the ground and Sasuke leaned into a crouching position, grabbing Naruto’s chin with his thumb and forefinger (gently) and tilted Naruto’s face upwards. <br/><br/></p><p>“Naruto—look at me.” He commanded, Naruto wanted to tell him <em>don’t tell me what to do little brat </em>but the words were lost at the unreadable dark look in Sasuke’s eyes on looking up. “That’s better...” <br/><br/></p><p>“Wh-What?” Naruto asked, hoping he wasn’t as flushed as he felt, hoping Sasuke couldn’t feel the way his jaw was clattering from trembling. <br/><br/></p><p>“What did you just say?” He echoed for the third time. <br/><br/></p><p>“I said—“ Naruto gulped, should he just admit? Confess and beg for forgiveness, no, no way. “—I said ‘I hate doves so fucking much.’” <br/><br/></p><p>As if to accentuate his point, he pointed a dove that flew just above him suddenly with a sharp flappy sound, proving that there were indeed doves in the forest, <br/><br/></p><p>“See?” <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke dropped his hold on Naruto’s chin, before looking away, disappointed. Then returning to meet Naruto’s eyes again with an all-consuming look. <br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t take me for an idiot, Naruto.” He said darkly through clenched teeth, “—I heard you loud and clear.” He inched closer, breath tingling on Naruto’s face, mere centimetres away, “—So don’t be a coward and come out with it.” <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto was shaking, so badly that he now had no doubt that Sasuke knew. He felt like such a weakling, why did he feel so weak? These few days felt wholly strange. <br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t kn-know what you’re—“ <br/><br/></p><p>“You’re quivering like a freezing animal.” Sasuke intruded, grasping Naruto’s hand and bringing the trembling limb into both their sight, <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m just—“ Naruto snatched it back, somewhat insulted, “—Cold.” <br/><br/></p><p>He sent a wrathful look to Sasuke after identifying the disbelieving smile, “—It is cold you know, I’m not being delusional by being cold.” Naruto added. <br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t feel that way.” <br/><br/></p><p>“No?” <br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t feel coolness anymore, I’m warm all the time.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Does that mean...you don’t feel—“ Naruto looked down, playing around with his dwindling thumbs, ashamed, “—You don’t feel what I feel?”<br/><br/></p><p>It briefly registered to Sasuke that this wasn’t about the weather anymore, not really. <br/><br/></p><p>He thought about his next words very, very wisely, “The way I see it, I used to crave the cold, although I thought I don’t need it—I only realised how much I’ve missed it when the sun came around. Even though I thought I didn’t feel it, I found myself wishing upon a star that it would come more often than not, and when the heat of the sun hit, that burning, deathly red made me realise how crazy I was, and that in truth I took it all for advantage and I do in fact—need it.” <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto’s eyes were huge, glistening. <em>Don’t get your hopes up, don’t get your hopes up, he’s talking about the weather, he’s talking about the weather. </em><br/><br/></p><p>It was pretty obvious to them both that it wasn’t just the weather Sasuke was describing. <br/><br/></p><p>“I—“ Naruto tried to reply, but his face paled instantly and he ended up fainting and collapsing in on himself. <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke was about to chuckle at how Naruto just passed out, but something was wrong, very, very wrong. <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto was running a high fever on touching his forehead, his face white as snow, much paler than normal. And then, the most worrying part, his nose began to run red in the state of restless unconsciousness. <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke felt sick, they were nearing Konoha. He didn’t want to return like this—he didn’t know what would happen to him, how he’d feel on seeing his old friends but none of that mattered. <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto looked on the brink of death. <br/><br/></p><p>He was willing to bet it was something to do with <em>that little devil</em>, Orochimaru. <br/><br/></p><p>~</p><p><br/>He made a B-line straight into the hospital, Naruto in his arms and very limp and frail. He completely dismissed all the gasps and shocked sounds that came from around him on the streets. <br/><br/></p><p>The pale blue and white of the hospital was haunting, and when they’d taken Naruto out of his worried arms he’d felt a piercing emptiness. <br/><br/></p><p>He’d only just got him back. <br/><br/></p><p>~ <br/><br/></p><p>“You’re a fucking idiot, a prick. A stupid idiot, he’s fighting for his life in there.” Sakura sounded violent and shaky. <br/><br/></p><p>“You’re the ones who came looking for me.” Sasuke justified confidently, not actually feeling the words he was saying. His brain was on autopilot. <br/><br/></p><p>Sakura leaped closer and landed a clean and resounding slap on his cheek, his head jolted to the side but other than that he didn’t react. <br/><br/></p><p>He felt the other three hidden ANBU members shift on their spot in the waiting room but didn’t comment on it, they were probably waiting for Tsunade‘s order to arrest him. <br/><br/></p><p>He rubbed the bruise forming on his cheek, “—Is he okay?” <br/><br/></p><p>“Okay?” Sakura lifelessly chuckled, “—They’re attempting to suck out the murderous poison you and your friends injected him.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Poison—?” Sasuke paused, feeling his very heart clench. <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh—“ The pink-haired snorted, “—You didn’t know?” She began to pace around the room. <br/><br/></p><p>“Your little buddy Orochimaru injected him with chakra-lined thallium, I’m betting it was on the day you stole him from us. The disgusting green shit you lot put into his body? Deathly poison. Well, maybe he would stand a fair chance if it’d only been in his system for two or three days, but the odds aren’t in his favour right now.”<br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke looked down, flexing his jaw. This wasn’t part of the agreement. Orochimaru wasn’t meant to do that. <br/><br/></p><p>His very soul felt like it was withering away into pieces. <br/><br/></p><p>If Naruto died, he’d have nothing left, just the lifelong heat of the summer that scorned him and no winter with the promise to refresh<br/><br/></p><p>~<br/><br/></p><p>Tsunade gave Sasuke a horrendous grilling in her office, the shouts were heard almost everywhere and Sakura would have felt bad for him under any other circumstance. <br/><br/></p><p>After a roasting, she laid out the rules, he was restricted from entering certain zones of Konoha, he’d have to report back to the Local Jail at 8PM for sleep and would be allowed to leave at 11AM. <br/><br/></p><p>He agreed, as long as the hospital Naruto wasn’t in one of Sasuke’s no-enter zones. <br/><br/></p><p>~<br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke felt Naruto more than saw him, on entering the empty hospital room he was greeted with a gust of chakra and smiled at himself. <br/><br/></p><p>It was his sixth or seventh time visiting and this time he registered that there were no ANBU members in the room.<br/><br/></p><p>Tsunade probably realised that if Sasuke actually wanted him dead, he’d be dead. <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke carefully treaded closer, and Naruto’s unconscious form came into view. He looked angelic, his lips were slightly parted, his eyebrows vulnerably drawn in. <br/><br/></p><p>He made a swift movement to sit on a bamboo chair next to the padded bed, intertwining his tentative fingers with Naruto’s limp ones, he listening to Naruto’s raspy breathing. <br/><br/></p><p>The raven-haired boy breathed in, “I don’t know if you can hear me, but I really pray you can’t because I don’t think I’ll ever tell you this sappy shit in real life but...” <br/><br/></p><p>He stopped himself, darting his eyes around the room once more just to make sure they were truly, truly alone. <br/><br/></p><p>They were. No escaping this time. <br/><br/></p><p>“—I heard what you said Naruto, and I think—if you said it in the way I think you said it then I—“ Sasuke squeezed Naruto’s warm palm tighter, “—I’m so emotionally constipated that it’s actually insane, I’d rather hit than kiss someone, I’d rather hurt than console. That’s—that’s what I thought. But tell me, why is it when I see you like this I can’t breathe. My heart feels like it’s about to give up on me and stop pumping blood. I can’t believe that perhaps one of your last memories of me is me holding you hostage, that’s the worst part. Kakashi Sensei once said <em>‘we will all be reduced to memories one day, make sure you’re a good one.’</em> Naruto, I want to be your good memory...” <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke sucked in a hesitant breath, “—That’s why you have to live, stay with me. I’ll stay for you this time, just meet me halfway. I heard what you said in the woods Naruto, you shouldn’t have been so nervous—and I want to say; I lo—“ he winced at the words that he hadn’t said in such a long time, “—I love you too...” he whispered, <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto’s hand twitched and he squeezed Sasuke’s palm feebly, “—So fucking much?” The blonde croaked, heavy eyes drooping open; smiling. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Percuro</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>NSFW AHEAD </p><p>It’s hapPENING</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~</p><p><br/>If you are hurt </p><p>to your wounds I’ll tend </p><p>sweet words I’ll blurt </p><p>this is the happy end </p><p><br/>~<br/><br/></p><p>The night Naruto was discharged, Sasuke was standing right outside the hospital doorway, holding a thick fur coat in his arm that smelt like coffee and sliding it onto Naruto’s figure without a word. <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto wasn’t sure when the weather had gotten so chilly, but as he stole a glance at Sasuke and saw a pushy gust of air push his matte black hair backwards, he felt that he had no complaints. <br/><br/></p><p>They hadn’t spoke about the <em>thing</em> since it happened, and Naruto found himself both feeling excruciatingly impatient and desperate to cling onto what remnants of sanity this was. <br/><br/></p><p>He’d briefly wondered if the situation he’d experienced the last few weeks were mere fever dreams and he found he wished that it wasn’t, for the sake of how much he adored Sasuke. <br/><br/></p><p>On the day of Sasuke’s confession, they had stayed silent and held hands for the rest of the stay, and now, processing the silence between them, Naruto felt that what occurred was truly a dream. <br/><br/></p><p>The only sounds on the night streets were patters of their own pairs of feet and the whooshing of the violent wind. <br/><br/></p><p>“Tsunade finally ended your curfew then?” Naruto asked, breaking the comfortable silence more than anything. <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke turned to him, raised a brow as if saying what else and then turned back, Naruto giggled at realising that he had probably asked a pointless question. <br/><br/></p><p>Another moment of silence...perhaps it had all been a dream after all...<br/><br/></p><p>”Sasuke—What happened in—“ <br/><br/></p><p>“It was real.” Sasuke cut through, not meeting Naruto’s gaze. <br/><br/></p><p>“How did you know what I was going to—“<br/><br/></p><p>“I just know—and it was real.” <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto went back to looking down at his moving feet, smiling to himself. <br/><br/></p><p>~<br/><br/></p><p>Naruto stood outside his small apartment, the same one he felt like he hadn’t been in for a long time. Sasuke and him were playing a little game of staring for a while, somewhat awkwardly not knowing what to do next. <br/><br/></p><p>“Well—“ Naruto began, gesturing at the handle and the metal keys in his hand, “I should probably—“ <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah...you should probably—do that...” Sasuke whispered, not making a move to actually leave. <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah...” Naruto echoed, not shifting from his position, “Okay.” And he began to shuffle with his things, finally breaking their silence and slotting his keys into the door. <br/><br/></p><p>Suddenly Sasuke turned around, “Fuck it.” <br/><br/></p><p>He pushed Naruto up against the wooden door, running his hands over the soft, tan skin and moving the low-collared shirt slightly upwards, he breathed over Naruto’s lips and Naruto’s eyes were wide. <br/><br/></p><p>“A-Are you waiting for an invitation or something?” Naruto tried to joke, although it came out a little nervous. <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke growled something lowly and began to kiss Naruto’s lips, pushing him further up against the wall until he was practically pinned and rubbing his crotch with Naruto’s. They both weren’t hard, but that was starting to change very quickly. <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto didn’t know what to do with his arms, he settled with throwing them around Sasuke’s shoulders. Sasuke somehow took that as in invitation to hoist Naruto upwards and make him wrap his thighs around his built waist, Naruto’s ankles touched behind his back. <br/><br/></p><p>“Eek—“ Naruto squealed, covering his mouth at the funny sound and they both broke the kiss to look at each other’s eyes, before breaking out into laughter. Sasuke almost dropped Naruto, almost. <br/><br/></p><p>“Let’s go inside, idiot.” Sasuke muttered, planting tiny, sweet pecks in the crook of Naruto’s neck, Naruto let out a small groan, <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah...” <br/><br/></p><p>~<br/><br/></p><p>”I’m a bit nervous now...” Naruto admitted, they were both lying down on the bed. Sasuke pinning both of Naruto’s wrists in one hand, although they hadn’t gone further than the initial snog. <br/><br/></p><p>“Shh...don’t be...” Sasuke coaxed, using his free palm to run down Naruto’s sweet cheek, the cheek he’d made cry and sweat and bleed and flush, and now he’d be able to make them do that for different reasons. <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto snorted, “Mr Sasuke the romantic, who would have known.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Repeat those words when you’re begging me to cum.” <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto chocked, going red all of a sudden and quickly releasing one of his hands from Sasuke’s hold with strength to cover his embarrassed expression. <br/><br/></p><p>Embarrasement...no...<br/><br/></p><p>This was something else. <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke grinned in realisation. He batted Naruto’s hands away from his nervous face. <br/><br/></p><p>“You liked that...didn’t you?” <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto’s pupils took up most his bright blue iris, <br/><br/></p><p>“I—No. No I didn’t, whatever—you’re delusional.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh...” Sasuke grinned again, moving to Naruto’s collarbones that showed oh so lightly through the v-neck and sucked little red hickeys into the skin, Naruto moaned, “Then I’ll be sure to stay extra quiet.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Ugh...Sasuke...I’m just—“ Naruto let out a very nervous, shaky groan, “—I do...” <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke bit an extra large bite into Naruto’s left collarbone now to hide his increasingly growing smirk. At this angle, he could feel Naruto’s erection on his hips. Naruto was grinding up slightly for some sort of friction. <br/><br/></p><p>“You do, you do—what?” Sasuke teased, “I want to hear the words come out of your lips with exact precision—so I can understand—of course.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Ugh—“ Naruto moaned, Sasuke ground his hips downwards, “—I want you to talk t-to me.” Naruto elaborated, giving up with a cherry flush on his cheeks. <br/><br/></p><p>“Atta boy.” Sasuke laughed, moving up to Naruto’s face and feverishly kissing him, Naruto returned in kind although his was more sloppy due to his love-drunken state, he was so much worse at composing himself then the former it seemed. <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke pushed his erection downwards into Naruto’s painfully clothed one, <br/><br/></p><p>“You like that—don’t you? You’re so hard, just from a few kisses...” Sasuke muttered against lips, Naruto was letting out little gasps, unable to speak or reply, “Answer me when I ask you a question...” <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke was really milking every ounce out of this experience, he knew Naruto had a vulnerable mind and was lost for words and he was thoroughly enjoying it, <br/><br/></p><p>“Do..” Sasuke kissed him, “you...” he ground down, “Like...” He moved down to the neck, “That...” He sucked an almost painful hickey, and then he stopped all his movements and looked up at Naruto; his heavy lidded glazed eyes and red face, it was hellishly hot. <br/><br/></p><p>“Yes...urgh..yes Sasuke—please...please please—“ He didn’t even know what he was saying. <br/><br/></p><p>“<em>Please...please.</em>..” Sasuke mocked, tensing his jaw to help suppress how turned on he was, he was about to lose control, “You sound like a helpless little boy or something. One of the strongest shinobi—begging for my cock” </p><p><br/>He leaned down regardless, inching lower until he reached Naruto’s writhing legs and pushed the waistline of the pants down, for some reason he wasn’t wearing any boxers and his desperate cock sprang right up. Sasuke huffed out a laugh again. <br/><br/></p><p>“This...?” He breathed, thumbing the tip of it and watching the pre-cum ooze out, Naruto covered his face with his forearm, “For me...? You shouldn’t have.” <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto was shaking, “Plea—Sasuke—“ He sat up and cupped Sasuke’s face suddenly, “Stop that or I’m going to finish now—seriously.” And he did look gravely serious. <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke huffed, “But it looks fucking delicious...” he muttered, he couldn’t help himself, he leaned in and licked the wet slit from one end to the other, <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto wasn’t kidding; he spasmed entirely, groaning the whole way through and his limp body falling back against the springy bed he held Sasuke’s hair tightly with one fist to ground himself somehow and he released all over his face, on the lips, on the cheeks, some even spurted on Sasuke’s eyelashes. <br/><br/></p><p>When he finished, he leaned on his forearms and looked shocked, <br/><br/></p><p>“Wh-What the fuck was that?!!” He asked Sasuke, raspberry-coloured, “Oh my god—you’re so fucking sexy—what the fuck?“ Naruto looked as if he was alternating from thought to thought. <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke smiled, one eye closed from the way it burned from the come, “You’re the one who came quickly <em>and</em> in my eyes...” <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto’s blissfully ruby expression dropped, “Sorry!” He gasped, crawling further down the bed and using the sleeve of his low neck top to wipe at Sasuke’s face, Sasuke laughed,<br/><br/></p><p>”That’s disgusting Naruto.” <br/><br/></p><p>The blonde just laughed in reply, cleaning Sasuke’s face with a concentration that looked as if his life depended on it. <br/><br/></p><p>When he was done, he looked moderately distressed, “You didn’t...” he stated, gesturing to Sasuke’s really thick and painful bulge that poked through the cotton of his trousers. <br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t worry...we can take care of that tomorrow.” <br/><br/></p><p>“But—“ Naruto tried, voice slightly slurring as the tiredness kicked in. <br/><br/></p><p>“Shh...you’re tired Naruto...you were in hospital not 2 hours ago...it’s 3AM.” <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto looked bothered, but he knew Sasuke’s looks, and that was the look of someone who wasn’t going to budge. He laid down in the bed, on his side and pulled up the thin, cheap covers to comfort himself. Sasuke slid in front of him and Naruto wordlessly slipped an arm around around his torso, <br/><br/></p><p>“Didn’t expect you to be the little spoon...” Naruto whispered sluggishly, yawning slightly as he tightened his hold around Sasuke’s gentle waist, <br/><br/></p><p>“I just haven’t been held before and I like a bit of—“ <br/><br/></p><p>“It wasn’t a complaint...Sasuke...” Naruto breathed before dozing off.</p><p><br/>Sasuke found strange solace in the loud snores on the back of his neck and was surprised to know the next morning, for the first time in a long time, sleep welcomed him as a friend and not an unreachable foe. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>When it comes to smut I’m either stuck between tooth rotting or AGGRESSIVE so idk what to do anymore so this was meant to be a blend, </p><p>But hope you enjoyed this chapter, next will be the last!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Diluo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The last chapter<br/>ABSOLUTE FLUFF COMFORT WARNING AHEAD</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is such a late update but my writers block was C R A Z Y.</p><p>Anyways, I’m less busy and have a bout of inspiration so here we are, the final chapter.</p><p>It’s been a cool ride guys, thanks for sticking by :) LY all</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~</p><p><br/>There is no beginning </p><p>There is no end</p><p>The middle is found </p><p>in the message we send<br/><br/></p><p>~<br/><br/></p><p>Things were very difficult, and by <em>difficult</em> it was meant that Sakura made many things a living hell.<br/><br/></p><p>She’d slapped Sasuke very firmly on more than one occasion, blood, sweat and tears were shed. But in the end, over a large conversation with her, Sasuke and Naruto in a specific favourite restaurant that served the most tender noodles around, their problems were resolved and Sasuke’s past mischiefs forgiven.<br/><br/></p><p>It had only taken about 7 months.<br/><br/></p><p>~<br/><br/></p><p>Naruto didn’t say goodbye to Sasuke when he announced that he’d go on a long trip to find his brother. <br/><br/></p><p>The 8 months in which he’d (luckily) willingly stayed in Konoha were bound to come to an end, his unhappiness and insatiability became clearer and clearer to a point where it could no longer be denied. Plus, Naruto knew all this was too good to be true. <br/><br/></p><p>Their relationship had been strange, Sasuke knew Naruto loved him, he had to know after all. But Sasuke had never uttered the same words to Naruto apart from that one time in the hospital.<br/><br/></p><p>On top of that, they’d shared a total of 5 sexual encounters, none of which anyone actually penetrated anyone. Nothing too sentimental or close. And the next day they ignored the whole situation; never addressing it: Naruto never knew what to think of that.<br/><br/></p><p>Some deep part of him felt used, he had to flash his mind back to that one time in which Sasuke had unwillingly confessed, yet even that memory started to grow foggy. They slowly distanced, their touches becoming foreign. <br/><br/></p><p>And eventually Sasuke announced he would go on a little trip to find Itachi. <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto refused to say goodbye, not bothering to leave his apartment as the villagers saw the raven-haired boy off.<br/><br/></p><p>~<br/><br/></p><p>
  <b>1 year after Sasuke left on a trip:</b>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>It was a normal afternoon, the golden sun setting behind cotton cream clouds and childhood laughter resounding through the streets of Konoha. <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto looked down from a fresh green hill, he’d finally become hokage. A piercing sense of pride filled his stomach and throat as he heard his cape flap behind him, and he stood tall. But even through all his happiness, something was missing. <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke wasn’t here to see this,<em> to see him</em>.</p><p> </p><p>~<br/><br/></p><p>
  <b>1 year and a half after Sasuke left on a trip:</b>
</p><p> </p><p>”Just leave them on my desk Hinata—no there—yup.” Naruto pointed at the one clear area on his oak desk. Hinata plopped down bunches of messy scrolls, “Thanks.”<br/><br/></p><p>She blushed a bright red, muttering something stupid and unnecessary and then stumbling out of the room. She was still as clumsy as ever. The door clattered lightly behind her as she left.<br/><br/></p><p>”Nothing’s changed, she still has a huge crush on you.” <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto froze where he sat, his chair creaking slightly underneath his weight. That was an unmistakable voice. Deep, monotone, somewhat soft. Maybe wiser. <br/><br/></p><p>“Sasuke.” He said, turning towards his childhood friend, suddenly overwhelmed at the sight he was greeted with.<br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke had longer black locks, some of which loose strands concealed part of his sharingan left eye that he wore proudly. His clothes were similar to the old days, plain loose black trousers and a slightly tight black shirt. <br/><br/></p><p>“You’ve grown, Naruto.” And grown he had. With slightly shorter blonde hair, broader shoulders and a much taller stature.<br/><br/></p><p>Their eyes met, blue and red staring at one another. Many feelings swept through Naruto, but he found that betrayal took charge.</p><p> </p><p><em>Grown? Grown?!</em> Of course he’d grown, Sasuke had left him for almost 2 years. <br/><br/></p><p>”Get out of my office.” <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke sighed, brows furrowing as he pinched the bridge of his nose.<br/><br/></p><p>“Naruto...”</p><p> </p><p>”Get out.”</p><p><br/>Sasuke looked at him, a little pained if Naruto dared to interpret the expression. He definitely seemed a little more emotional, definitely wiser. <br/><br/></p><p>“I—okay.” <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke moved to the huge Hokage office double-doors, but as his hands were on the brass knobs he froze. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’ll come back every day Naruto, every day until you forgive me.” <br/><br/></p><p>~<br/><br/></p><p>“Good evening Naruto-“</p><p><br/>”Get out.”<br/><br/></p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>“Good morning Naruto-“<br/><br/></p><p>”Fuck you.”</p><p> </p><p>~<br/><br/></p><p>”Happy birthday Naruto-“<br/><br/></p><p>”How the hell are you even in here with extra guards patrolling the place? Get out.”</p><p> </p><p>~<br/><br/></p><p>“Good day Naruto-“<br/><br/></p><p>”Just leave me alone.” <br/><br/></p><p>~<br/><br/></p><p>“Good morning Naruto-“</p><p><br/>“Why are you doing this to me?”<br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke froze, hiding in the crevices of the shadows of the hokage office his expression wasn’t too clear. This reply wasn’t warranted or expected, the typical insult replaced with a hint of vulnerability felt all too guilt-inducing and unbelievably unwelcome. <br/><br/></p><p>“Why are you punishing me? What have I done to deserve this?” Naruto elaborated.<br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke swallowed the bile gathering in his throat, “This isn’t punishment.”<br/><br/></p><p>”Are you serious?” He laughed coldly, suddenly leaning both palms against his oak desk and looking down at the ground. “Sasuke...you left me to rot in a dungeon when I loved you, used your sharingan on me, tried to get me to kill you, then did the some of the most physically intimate things to me after confessing your love and then left me so that you could continue a journey of vengeance that you’d promised to discontinue.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Well—when you put it like that—“<br/><br/></p><p>”Is this a joke to you?” Naruto looked up, eyes glossy, “I’ve grown, Sasuke. I’ve had a life and gone through things since you left, you can’t just come back—you can’t come back with <em>that look</em> in your eye-“<br/><br/></p><p>”What <em>look</em>?” Sasuke queried, head tilting to the side and genuinely curious.<br/><br/></p><p>Naruto snorted, “What do you want from me?”<br/><br/></p><p>“I want <em>you</em> Naruto.” Sasuke conformed, observing no point in lying. <br/><br/></p><p>“Fuck you.” Naruto spat, small beads of tears now angrily spilling from his eyes as he clenched his teeth, “This is what I mean. I have a life—Sasuke.”<br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke raised a brow; “Is this about Hinata? You like her?”<br/><br/></p><p>”What? No!” Naruto stuttered, slightly outraged at the remark. <br/><br/></p><p>“You have a wife? Secret lover? Kids?”<br/><br/></p><p>”No—No! That’s not the point! Why are you doing this?”<br/><br/></p><p>”Naruto—I—shit.” Sasuke sighed, sensing Naruto’s frustration and betrayal and hurt, he had to fix this, somehow, some way, “I did some bad things Naruto, to you especially. And I’m sorry, I hurt you in so many ways. I don’t expect—I don’t want you to forgive me. I don’t deserve it, but I also know who you are” Sasuke tiptoed closer, hestitantly splaying his palm intimately on Naruto’s chest, right above his heart, “—In here. I know you’ve already forgiven me. And—Itachi is dead Naruto.”</p><p><br/>Naruto visibly flinched, wincing. “What?—you—you killed him?” <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke shook his head, “No. I never went to get revenge, I wanted to fix things—you made me realise the importance of forgiveness. I got to him but it was too late, we exchanged a few words before he died, but at the end he was the one to bring about his own death—he killed himself.” <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto was lost for words, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water as his tears stained more and more over his face. Sasuke wiped each and every single one, well at least he tried. <br/><br/></p><p>“I love you Naruto, I love you a million times. But I cut you off a few months before my trip because I had to fix myself—to become a better man. To be a man you deserve. I love you so much—so much. But you don’t have to forgive me...” he walked backwards, putting space between himself and the blonde. Naruto felt cold at the lack of touch suddenly, “I’ve said my part Naruto, think about it and come back to me—okay? I’ll be at the Shōkan hotel, I’m staying there.”<br/><br/></p><p>Naruto couldn’t reply.<br/><br/></p><p>”I love you...” Sasuke finalised before he disappeared out the open window like he was never even there, and Naruto was left staring at where his figure once was.</p><p> </p><p>~<br/><br/></p><p>Naruto found himself sneakily crawling through the window of the Shōkan hotel at 10PM, he didn’t like the way he felt like a criminal but he had to do what he had to do. <br/><br/></p><p>He’d landed straight into a bedroom, if this was rightly room 444 then he had indeed landed in Sasuke’s premises. The bedroom was empty but he could hear the sounds of footsteps from the nearby living room, he decided to wait on the bed for the Raven-haired rather than disrupt his actions in the other room.</p><p><br/>After half an hour of patiently waiting the door to the bedroom finally creaked open, his heart pounded at the thought of—<br/><br/></p><p>“EEK—!” A woman screamed, slamming a hand over her mouth as she took in Naruto’s figure. She was a purple-haired 20 year old and was dressed in a unicorn pyjamas set. ”Hokage—?”<br/><br/></p><p>”Um...” Naruto’s nerves settled into bubbling envy, who the hell was this? “You’re what—Sasuke’s girlfriend?” He had no right to feel jealously, not at all-<br/><br/></p><p>“Wha—Sammy did you say? Sorry—I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know who that is—?”</p><p><br/>He went bright red, “Am I not in room 444?”<br/><br/></p><p>The women shook her head, “Hokage...this is room 441, I think room 444 is down the corridor.” <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto slapped his palm into his face, “Oh god I’m so sorry—I’m so sorry.”<br/><br/></p><p>~<br/><br/><br/>“Okay...let’s try this a second time...” The blonde mumbled to himself as knocked on room 444, and before he could even reach the third knock the door swung enthusiastically open.<br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke’s eyes lit up.</p><p> </p><p>”You—Naruto—“<br/><br/></p><p>”I still love you Sasuke, I’m all yours. You’re right—I didn’t want to but I forgive you, every day, all day whenever—there’s no one else—“ <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke pulled the collar of Naruto’s shirt, dragging him in the room and slamming the door shut behind. <br/><br/></p><p>Their faces were so close now, foreheads touching, noses brushing as Sasuke’s hands found Naruto’s hips, <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m so sorry about Itachi...I should’ve been more understanding—“<br/><br/></p><p>”-Shhhhh...I love you—just be quiet please. There’s literally no reason for you to apologise for that.” <br/><br/></p><p>Naruto let out a wet chuckle, and before he knew it more tears were streaming profusely out his eyes, Sasuke kissed them away, the saltiness gathering on his tongue, he didn’t mind though. They were fresh and down to Earth, just like Naruto. <br/><br/></p><p>“Why are you crying...?” <br/><br/></p><p>“I love you so much Sasuke...tell me you love me...so I know it’s real—please...” <br/><br/></p><p>Sasuke smiled, leaning in to pepper one kiss over the corner of Naruto’s lips, </p><p><br/>“I love you...” he whispered like a secret as he left a peck on his cheek, “I love you...” he said again as he moved to boop Naruto’s nose, “I love you...” he repeated as he kissed Naruto’s lashes. <br/><br/></p><p>He tightened his hold on Naruto’s waist, running his left arm up and down it as his right clung so tight that if he wasn’t such a strong hokage he’d probably have bruises. <br/><br/></p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>”Marry me? Naruto...”</p><p> </p><p>”And why are you asking? You seriously think I’d say no?” </p>
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